Variations in mothers' self-esteem in daily life

In this study we used a new procedure, the experience sampling method (ESM; Csikszentmihalyi & Larson, 1987), to assess variations in self-esteem of mothers. Responding to random signals, 49 middle-class White working mothers reported present experience by answering a one-page questionnaire four to five times a day for 2 weeks. A measure of current, ongoing self-esteem was built from mothers' responses to the ESM and was compared with three standard self-esteem measures. Results support Fiske's (1971) ideas that although both types of procedures give a view of self-esteem, the views differ and cannot be considered interchangeable. Results showed that mothers' ongoing self-esteem fluctuated according to who mothers were with, was lower when they were with children than when with adults, and was related to aspects of their interpersonal situation. Results support viewing self-esteem as a complex phenomenon that is likely to require several types of measurement procedures to bring into clearer focus.